


in the absence of everything, abstain from fear

by unmedicated_daydreams



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-10
Updated: 2019-03-23
Packaged: 2019-10-07 15:20:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17368403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unmedicated_daydreams/pseuds/unmedicated_daydreams
Summary: "I, Will Graham, will escape the talons of my father or die trying."  From the day Will realized he was to spend his life as little more than a slave, he knew no other way to live than to run and keep running.-Hannibal looked down on the Omega creature.   He— it, he reminded himself— wore a tight top that hinted at a toned stomach and jeans that were slung low on his hips.  He found himself wishing the Omega would remove them— it would be intriguing to see how those legs would look wrapped around his hips.“You are William, correct?”The creature stood shell shocked.“Will!”“Yes?”“My name is Hannibal Lecter.  You will come with me.”





	1. hide your love/ don't let it slip away

“Have you ever heard of Tomas Gramme?” 

Will’s skin prickled at the name of the infamous Alpha. Freddie continued, “The people are saying he’s returned. Rumor has it he’s come to retrieve an Omega childe.”  
A tiny voice inside him whispered, surely Tomas had many illegitimate children, surely the protector of his kind, of the weak Omegas, had more than one childe to claim, surely he had forgotten about one night thirty-four years ago, surely he hadn’t an inkling of Will. Freddie looked him over, her eyes narrowed and her brow wrinkled by pensiveness. She ran a hand along his cheek, comforting him in the only way she could.

“Look at me, Will Graham. We’re in town. Six guards of the gentry are stationed within killing distance. Will! Don’t run now; they’ll catch you. Concentrate.” Tense and chilled as though he were awaiting judgement, Will forced out a breath through his clenched teeth before relaxing. His fingers wrenched free from their stillness, and slowly, very slowly, he regained complete control over himself. Will focused his gaze on Freddie’s eager and inquisitive eyes, which darted over him looking for something, anything out of place.

He opened his mouth, barely managing to avoid gasping for breath. “Tomas Gramme is coming to town?” He mentally conjured up a sketch of his features. Hard jawline, hair groomed into a chocolate swoosh, blue eyes that were reflected in his own features. Almost reflexively, his hand ghosted along a cheekbone that held the same curve as Tomas’s up to where a sky blue eye perched defiantly, almost as if it were daring Freddie to interrogate him about its origin.

“Yeah.” Freddie’s eyes were worried as they gazed into his. “Would’ve thought you’d’ve heard by now. Can’t believe it myself; an Alpha like Tomas is coming to this tiny town. ‘Course if you’ve got a childe to claim… If I were Gramme, I’d sure come back.” Anyone would. Alphas found it so difficult to create children that even the Omegas, who were typically imprisoned in forced matings with Alphas and Betas once their own families became bored with their weaknesses, were worth chasing after. “Anyhow, it’ll stir things up a bit. We’ve never had anything like the Tomas Gramme in Wolf Trap before.” That was true enough. This town wasn’t exactly a tourist hotspot; it was in the middle of nowhere and he’d be shocked if it had over a few thousand residents.

And Will had always relied on that. No one would think to look for the childe of a famous Protector Alpha in the middle of nowhere. Omegas were known to be fragile and sheltered. If Tomas had gone looking for an Omega childe of his, he would’ve headed to the suburbs of major cities, where a childe could have found financial security and safety. Will had banked on him getting tired before he thought of checking small towns.

He looked over at Freddie. “I need to run.” He knew she’d understand; Freddie was a Beta childe of a man who would settle only for an Alpha daughter, and she’d be running from her father for the rest of her life.

“When?” A comforting hand landed on his shoulder, prompting his response.

“When does Tomas get in?”

Freddie’s hand tightened. “He’s supposed to land tonight.” Tonight. Will looked up at the sun, which was painting the sky in pinks and purples as it sunk into the horizon. At best he had an hour. At worst he had a minute.

“I don’t have the time to get my things.”

“What you have’ll have to do.” It was an unspoken truth that he had enough to survive for a long while with him. All rebellious Omega children knew that at any moment, an Alpha parent could take them, and that would result in lifelong servitude to the parent’s pack, or a horrifying forced marriage, so they prepared accordingly. They could sprint at any moment, and it was a very real possibility that they would have to. Of course, most Omegas were raised to sit pretty in the laps of their oppressors, so rebels such as Will were rare.

A deafening noise sounded from above him. Freddie and Will stared up at the private jet soaring overhead. Only one visitor would own a craft that shiny and new.  
Will ran.

 

Six Years Later…

Signing off the holo-call, Hannibal spun around in the swivel chair to face Tomas. “Well, well, if it’s not my favorite protector.” It wasn’t. Jack Crawford, the Protector Alpha guarding a region just south of Tomas’s, was his favorite protector, but Tomas didn’t need to know that. As far as the man knew, Hannibal loved him.

After a lifetime of enduring rudeness from men like Tomas, he was more than fed up with tolerating that sort of behavior, especially when he had the opportunity to remedy it. “Mr. Gramme, such a pleasure to meet with you again. During our last meeting, I was forced to leave so hastily, I did not have the opportunity to ask for your address. Do you happen to have a card?”

Tomas reached into his jacket with a grin and slid Hannibal a glossy business card.

“I must confess, I called you here with less than pure motives.” Hannibal arched a brow, feigning interest all whilst dreaming of dicing Tomas into neat cubes of meat. What a shame it was, that he was forced to wait to make the man useful. “See, Mr. Lecter, I have a childe.” He froze for a millisecond, for such a short amount of time that no one but an extraordinarily observant person would have picked up on it, then lifted the suddenly heavy glass of water to his dry lips and tool a cool sip.

“A Omega?”

“Yes, Mr. Lecter. A rather disobedient one, at that.” Tomas’s tone, which was normally so playful and blasé, was now edged with irritation.

Hannibal carefully set down the glass of water. “I presume you wish for me to retrieve it.” A sharp, tense nod. He folded his hands together. “What is it’s name?”

“I believe it calls itself William. I have been watching it for some time. Recently I returned to Mr. Crawford’s region of Maryland, where it seems to be hiding out, and attempted to obtain it.” Tomas’s jaw ground. “This… William… has been running from me for six years. I can only live for so long under the delusion that it will return to me of its own free will.”  
Hannibal, with an intentional grin, rose from the chair. His walk calm and casual in an attempt to put the other man at ease, he entered his sleeping quarters and retrieved a small pack of clothing and food, which would last him roughly a month, a week if he were traveling with one of the Omega creatures. As a careful man, he always had supplies on hand. “I assume you know my rates. I shall leave at once.” There was no need to iron out a return date or negotiate the cost of hiring Hannibal. It was assumed that he would apprehend the Omega and return at his earliest convenience. Any alpha of his status would be insulted by a due date, as it implied they needed to be told to not slack on the job. 

“Then there is nothing more that needs to be said, Tomas.” With that cold dismissal, he left Hannibal’s home.

Hannibal sank into a chair and let his face sink into his hands, his fingers running through his hair. A heavy sigh escaped him. It had somehow become his job to track down a pathetic Omega creature that had wasted more than half a decade running from a man who would be better put to use on a plate than as a Protector Alpha. This little task was far, far beneath him. Anyone capable of sensible thought would have appointed a Beta soldier to the task. Had Tomas’s consciousness surpassed that of a mealworm, he would have seen that. Perhaps he could keep Tomas’s Omega after gutting the man.

 

An abandoned warehouse filled to the brim with boxes of butt plugs and rotting fruit was hardly the ideal living space, but it was one of the few places an alpha would likely hesitate to search for his Omega childe. Given his limited resources, he’d done as best as could be expected. The equipment he’d obtained from a store just over two weeks ago would be depleted in another week, but it had ensured he would have one meal every other day, as well as be able to dress in new clothing every week, comb his dark brown hair, and regularly brush his teeth. Will turned the page in his journal, which he’d carefully written in the Omegan language to ensure that, were he captured, any secrets it contained would not fall into the hands of her abductors.

//::Today is the fifteenth and final day in the warehouse. Leaving this building— and most likely this continent— will give me a better chance of survival. I am forever worried about being caught by Tomas, or by one of his Alphas. He is one of the most powerful Alphas, as well as one of the most powerful Protectors, so if he chooses to go after me, I have almost no chance of escape. Of course, it goes without saying— writing, in this case— that I will die trying. Better dead than an Alpha’s slave.:://

Will set the pen down, closed the journal, and slid it back into his pack of diminishing supplies before standing up.

He had just short of five hundred dollars left, which would last him another few months if he was smart about where he spent it, one change of clean clothes, and about three and a half meals. Will took a quick look at the compass that hung around his neck. He would eat, shower in the sinks of the warehouse, change into the jeans and black tee, and head north beneath the night sky.

 

//::I, Will Graham, will escape the talons of my father or die trying.::// From the day Will realized he was to spend his life as little more than a slave, he knew no other way to live than to run and keep running. If Tomas caught him, he’d exist for all eternity as a slave to him and whomever else he deigned to declare his master. Freedom was the goal, but the only form in which he would ever obtain it was that of spending his life running from Tomas. Better than slavery, but not truly living.

Will turned off the water, then dried himself off and retrieved his only remaining clean clothes. Baggy jeans that rode low on his hips, a tight tee that showed off his lean, muscled body, black combat boots, and a dark gray sweatshirt. He slid the hood over his head. Though if the warehouse were searched they would discover his presence, Will left his dirty clothes behind when he exited the warehouse. Too many supplies could slow him down, and he’d rather buy new clothes than contract some infection from those he’d already dirtied.

Even though he knew there was no one out there, he looked for movement within the forest in front of him before marching out into the open. With a deep breath sinking into his gut, Will slammed the door of the warehouse behind him, being careful to lock it back up. However, when he turned back around, he was no longer alone.

In front of Will stood a tall, muscular man. It was not the pure strength ironed into every step he took towards him, nor the look in his eyes that hovered somewhere between cold fury and blazing lust, that drew his attention. It was his scent.

The man was an Alpha.


	2. pain is in the mind, dear/ stars are much the same

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will plots an escape and aggravates Hannibal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Dub-con elements
> 
> Thank you so much for checking out this fic!! I hope y'all enjoy it <3

Hannibal looked down on the Omega creature. He— it, he reminded himself— wore a tight top that hinted at a toned stomach and jeans that were slung low on his hips. He found himself wishing the Omega would remove them— it would be intriguing to see how those legs would look wrapped around his hips.

“You are William, correct?”

The creature stood shell shocked.

“Will!”

“Yes?”

“My name is Hannibal Lecter. You will come with me.” Cum with him, cum for him, cum on him… he surveyed its body once again. That tight top showed its defined abdominal muscles, even more defined ribs— Hannibal shoved down anger at that subtle sign of starvation— that showed through the top, a deliciously curved clavicle.  
The Omega creature stomped its foot. “I refuse to let you make me that man’s slave! I’m a human person and I will… I will not allow myself to be treated like this!”

“You’re nowhere near human. Calling yourself a collection of cells that was never meant to exist would be more accurate.” And with that, he slung it over his shoulder and entered the warehouse.

 

Hannibal slid a hand around its throat just as it awakened.

“You are bound in a warehouse with no one around for miles except the Alpha ordered to retrieve you. There is no escaping. Best to quash that notion right now.”  
He— it, dammit, why couldn’t he remember this?— ceased its protests.

“You will not speak or I will gag you. You will not attempt to flee or I will open up one of these boxes and we will have some fun. You will cease making that disgruntled expression at me. I do not like it.”

The creature recovered from its temporary shock. “Let’s get one thing straight. I will speak whenever the hell I want—”

Hannibal secured the tie behind Will’s head, maneuvering the red ball until it best stifled his— its— protests. “For my own pleasure I hope you try to run.” He gave it a wicked grin. “I rather enjoy you like this.” It growled at him. He tapped its chin. “Now. If you promise to say, ‘Hannibal is wonderful,’ I will remove the gag. Nod your head if you will comply.” He would quite enjoy playing with the creature.

The creature rapidly nodded its head, that gorgeous, wavy brown hair shaking over him— its— face. His movements slow and deliberate, Hannibal untied the gag and tore it from its mouth. It stuttered and coughed and spat on the ground like a human having an asthma attack before lifting its head to face him. Its eyes promised revenge.

“Now?” He raised his eyebrows. “I believe you have something to tell me.”

He— it— lowered its gaze, focusing on a spot on the ground. “Hannibal is wonderful… at being Tomas’s sociopathic puppet.”

His eyes blazed. How rude… and how oddly attractive. “Would you like the gag back?”

“No.” The response came reflexively, as though it had been the worst horror to which he’d ever been subjected. Hell, Hannibal thought, it probably had been. He could vividly recall his own childhood— if one could call it that— of whips and knives and cigarette burns, of his precious Mischa, of the brutality of the man who had dared call him family. Alphas overwhelmingly agreed that endurance was an important virtue— one they tested and built with pain. He saw it for what it was: simple, ugly cruelty. If he returned this creature to Tomas, it would be beaten until it learned to bleed gracefully.

And for the first time in decades, he had no desire to watch as blood was needlessly spilt.

Hannibal reached for the ball gag as though he could so easily quiet the broken voice of his fragmented moral compass. Perhaps he would make this Will into a main course. Tomas, after all, did not deserve such a spotlight. He once again cut off the sputtering Omega’s ability to call him names. After all, he could only be expected to tolerate so much rudeness.

 

Will pulled free from the ropes around his wrists after what felt like hours of working at them, then frantically tore the ball gag out. Hannibal had promised some form of retaliation if he attempted to run, but if he ran fast and far enough… he could escape. He’d head north into Canada and hide out until Tomas gave up on finding him. Breaths racing from his chest, heaving out of him, Will sprinted for the exit. His footsteps pounded against the ground in time with his jackhammer heart.

Locked.

The door refused to budge.

His fists rained down on it, though he knew full well he couldn’t open it. Panic clouded his vision like a dust bowl of fear. What would he do if he couldn’t open the door? What if he couldn’t escape? What if he was resigned to living as Tomas’s slave?

He slumped against the ground, all his fight leaving him. Thank the gods he’d not bled. Like most Omegas, he possessed potent blood. The sort of blood that could make an Alpha, even one as composed as Hannibal Lecter, lose control. Unbeknownst to his abductor, however, his blood hid something far more important than simple Omega-hood: life itself. He had no doubt that if Tomas knew of the strength within his veins, he wouldn’t hesitate to bottle Will’s blood, and keep him around to regenerate it simply so he could do it all over again.

He uselessly gave the door one final hit before standing up. What were his options? This warehouse held no windows, and he’d discovered during his stay that this was the only door. Chances were, Hannibal had scoped out the entire building already. Each air duct was closed off, and while the ground was worn away to dirt in some places as a result of the building being abandoned long ago, there was absolutely no chance that he could dig out before—

“Did I not warn you, Omega?” It wasn’t a question; it was a low, primal growl. Every part of him stood at attention, frozen in Hannibal’s presence.

His scent burned with anger, all too detectable to Will, and his eyed blazed hot with something akin to monstrosity as he prowled closer. “I believe I said exactly, ‘You will not attempt to run or I will open up one of these boxes and we will have some fun’.” 

Will stiffened. He knew precisely what was in those boxes: rotten food, from the produce distributor that had once owned half the warehouse, and sex toys, from the adult store that had owned the other half. And he highly doubted Hannibal’s idea of fun involved the food. “I-I’ll let you tie me up again, okay? Gag me if— if you want. Jus-Just p-please don’t t-touch me.” He refused to allow anyone to touch him in that way again. Never again.

Still, a maliciously beautiful grin curled Hannibal’s lips.

“Don’t touch you how, William? Don’t touch you like this?” His hand slid up Will’s throat, gripping lightly before caressing her cheek. “Don’t touch you like this?” Fingers burned over his abdomen; his breaths became shallower. “Or this?” A bold hand lightly ran over his shaking inner thighs before stroking him boldly, as though they had all the time in the world. “What about this?”

His breaths morphed into moans he couldn’t control. Hannibal pulled him into his embrace until his back was pressed against the hard planes of the Alpha’s chest, then began absently flicking at the zipper of his jeans with his thumb. Closer, closer, closer. He writhed like a cat in heat against the rock-hard bulge in the man’s slacks. Gods, he needed Hannibal inside him. He hadn’t engaged in sexual contact, not since… Will pushed away the memory with all the force he had.

Now was not then.

Even so, he felt himself sliding like a ghost into the body of his past self. He was eleven again, about to fall asleep, when a shadow suddenly appeared in his doorway…  
“William! Will, can you hear me?” The Alpha’s voice was frantic at his fear-scent. “Are you alright?”

Coughs sputtered from his throat. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just a memory.” Then, because he was unable to resist the jab, he curved his mouth into a sardonic smile and said, “You know that plaid suit makes you look like an Ikea couch, right?”

The concern that had briefly tinted his uncaring facade faded in favor of a harder edge. “Good, Will. Now, I believe I was about to open up one of these boxes.”


	3. by the way, dear, we're alive/ and it hurts, 'cause we survived

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal and Will chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi sorry i'm literally the worst at updating please enjoy xx <3

Will shivered as the Alpha’s cold voice caressed him.He was all too aware of what was in those boxes.Upon his arrival at the warehouse, he’d opened each and every one of them so that there were no surprises later on.He’d quickly learned that within each box either held rotting fruit, forgotten by its destined grocery store, or sex toys.

He prayed to the gods he knew weren’t listening that Hannibal intended to feed him rotting fruit.

His pulse quickened as Hannibal prowled over to a box and peeled up its cardboard corners.No stench of rotting fruit wafted from the box.

Will held his breath until he felt lightheaded.It would do no good to plead with him.Hannibal was an Alpha.He was Omegan.His commands were to be followed and Will’s pleas were to be ignored.

With a satisfied smirk on his composed face, Hannibal withdrew a bulbous plug.“Shall we have some fun, William?”Hannibal moved gracefully across the warehouse, halting in front of him.

Will sat still, disoriented, his mind split between the haunting memories of his childhood and the numb desire for sex.“I’d really rather not, Alpha.”

Hannibal leaned in, his husky scent of sandalwood and vanilla calming Will until his knotted muscles unwound.His piercing sapphire eyes enthralled him, entranced him like a magician’s spell might an unsuspecting fool.

Only Will wasn’t an unsuspecting fool.He was an empath.

And Hannibal?He was an Alpha who wouldn’t hesitate so enslave him.Still, his body curled into the man; what it desired spliced so simply from what he wanted, almost as though it was a separate entity.

“Really, little Omega?”A touch of wry amusement tickled his tone.“Your body speaks a different story.”

His mouth was just as much a part of his body as his hardening cock, but he didn’t think it would help to mention that.

“What?No snapping retort?”

“You’ll do what you want regardless of what I say.I’ll hate you all the more for it.And we’ll be back to square one, with mutual distaste for one another.Then you’ll deliver me to a man who intends to enslave me, and I’ll spend the next hundred years rueing the day you flew up to this warehouse.”

And he would never stop fighting.He’d be breaking her back for his father six hundred years from now, still plotting this man’s death.

Will looked up at him, mind clear but body still hopelessly affected by it.By him.

Hannibal settled an elbow on his back, a look in his eyes that was both unyielding and understanding.Mind racing, he forced his muscles to relax as the Alpha bent him over a box.“I’m not a rapist, Will.The situation is far more interesting to me if you are willingly contributing to it.”

He snorted.“I’m sure most rapists identify as not-rapists.You shoved your hand down my pants— at best you’re a sexual predator.”

“You nearly came.”

“I can’t control my biological responses.”

A pause.

Will counted six seconds.Twenty.Fifty.

“Would… would it ease you if we conversed first?”

“It would ease me if you would not force a butt plug up my ass.”

“Perhaps we could have dinner.Allow things to resolve themselves in the morning.”He nearly giggled at the lack of surety to the Alpha.“Tomas should’ve sent someone else to detain you.”

“Why?Are you not experienced enough to handle someone like me?”

He shot Will a scathing glare.“He should’ve sent one of the friendlier Alphas, the ones who bend over backwards for your kind.Perhaps you’d be more amenable to my suggestions if I treated you like a princess.”

Bitterly, he replied, “I don’t require special treatment, Hannibal, just human decency.”

A sigh.“I have told you many times now that you are not human.And neither am I.Human decency was a concept invented by mortals.Rules invented by mortals shouldn’t be adhered to by gods.”

“You’re not a god.You’re an Alpha, and right now, an asshole.”

“But you understand me, yes?”

“Yes.What I don’t understand is why you’re like this.”His blue eyes burned into Will’s, and he wondered why he’d spoken any of his thoughts aloud.This man could break him in half like he would a toothpick.

He let out a sharp exhale, all the fight leaking out of him.Slowly, Hannibal pulled himself off of him, allowing him to stand.“Perhaps we should find somewhere more comfortable to converse.”

Hesitantly, Will nodded, letting Hannibal take his hand and lead him out of the warehouse.

The grass rustled in welcome, and the sliver of a moon hung low in the sky.He knelt onto the grass, crossing his legs and running his fingertips through the grass.He looked up at Hannibal.“Aren’t you going to sit?”

“I am content to stand.”

Will moved to pull himself to his feet as well, but before he’d stabilized himself, Hannibal’s hand cupped his shoulder and gave him the lightest push.“Sit.You appear to be comfortable.”So he did, keeping an eye on the Alpha at all times.

“You know, I never thought I’d have an actual conversation with one of you Alphas.”His lips quirked.“Your lot seem so untouchable.”

His hand brushed Will’s dark hair.“You must seem the same to most.But neither of us is so.”

Will leaned against his legs, arching into his hand as Hannibal continued to stroke his hair.“You’re pretty scary, especially to someone you’re kidnapping.”

He went quiet for a moment.“My world is quite different from yours.Wealth is unfulfilling and connection is fleeting.My work alone interests me, and it rarely matters to me if others are impacted.”

“You’re only telling me the truth because I’d be committing suicide by revealing it.”

A slight nod.“You are Omegan.”And no one believed Omegas.

Will looked up.“Is your world truly so terrible?”

Another nod.

“Why not leave?”

The man sighed.“It is my home, no matter how awful.”

Will nestled into his warmth.“I wish I knew what that felt like.”At Hannibal’s probing silence, he continued, “Like you said, I am Omegan.I have been running since I was born.I was six months old the first time someone swaddled me in a towel and tossed me into a wagon headed out of town.It wasn’t long before someone else found me and kept me as their own.When I was two, they deemed me cursed and threw me out, same way they would a bag of trash.And so it continued.”

“How do you know this all?Six months is quite young.”

He stifled a snarl and pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing a series of small, tanned markings.“I am Omegan.We are born with our language written into our skin.

“Some say it is an evolutionary advantage that allows us to remember our history before it is taken from us.Either way, I am glad for it.”It was all he had from his childhood.

Will looked up into those bright baby blues.“When we are caught, most will burn it from our bodies.”Those eyes turned from calm to pained.He went on, “They think that we forget that easily.

“Our memories are branded far deeper than the skin.We have a unique magic: _recordanti_.It runs in our blood and it cannot be taken.”It wasn’t all that ran in his blood. _Recordanti_ was a twin of a magic that ran far deeper, the _veraque_ that buried into her very soul.

_Veraque_.Empathy.Destruction.


	4. do you wanna know my name/ is that all you wanna take from me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Hannibal talk about what made them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope y'all enjoy this <3<3

“Tell me a story, Omega.”

Will’s fingers tightened on the door handle, his breaths far from steady, as he turned around.His chest heaved with each inhale.“A… a story?” he asked, each word strangled by anger.This Alpha had uprooted his life, kidnapped him with the intent of damning him to a lifetime of slavery, and now demanded he entertain him?The nerve of this man!Nonetheless, Will found himself taking a seat next to him, not breaking from his gaze for a second.“What kind of story?”

“A memory.”

He seethed.Barely a minute ago Hannibal had called him ‘Omega,’ like that was all he was, and now he wanted Will to drudge up a memory to amuse him.He rifled around in his past, searching for one he’d be willing to share.If he picked a sad story—sad in the way so many of his memories were— and received a blank stare or a line of condescension, Will would tear out his throat.If the man mocked his pain, he wouldn’t stop until he shredded him.Alpha or not, he’d rip him into pieces.

Will leaned forward and looked away from him, settling his chin on hands perched up by his knees.“He always bought me pretty dresses, my first foster father, and I liked it, liked being taken care of, even if I didn’t much care for the dresses themselves.For my fifth birthday he got me a spring green one.It wasn’t the kind of thing you picked up from the department store on a whim— perfectly tailored, with soft lace and so many layers you’d think there was a hoop skirt under there.I didn’t particularly like it; green’s not my color and I don’t like clothes I can’t run in— Omegan trait— but I wore it anyway.He told me I looked nice, showered me with compliments, let me have dessert before dinner, ‘cause it was my special night.I got that sense of community, of family.That night was the first— now that I think of it, only— time I didn’t feel completely and utterly alone.”

He looked up at the Alpha.His expression was carefully neutral.Hannibal leaned back and countered— no, not countered; responded; shared,“When I was five my father beat me and made me lick up the blood.”

“Lucky.” The Alpha’s back straightened and he looked up at Will as though seeing him for the first time.“Omegas aren’t allowed to bleed.Our blood tends to react… strangely… to the air.We have to be punished in… other ways.”

His sharp hand reached up to grasp Will’s chin.“Lucky?Lucky!I was beaten like an animal almost daily for ten years.Nothing amounts to your back being twisted into a mass of bleeding scars and flesh so numb you can barely feel it— nothing is quite like that.”With a subtle frown, the Alpha looked him in the eye.“Go on then.Finish your story.”

“Maybe another night, Alpha.”

That hand flashed from his chin to his throat, gripping tightly then stroking softly.“Why not right now?”His voice was cold with just a hint of curiosity.

“You mean, why don’t I want to share my life story with the Alpha who abducted me and destroyed my freedom?”

The corner of his mouth tipped up.“Yes.”His fingers brushed up and down Will’s jugular, making it clearer than ever than if he wished to, he could end his life in a mere moment.“The moments in your childhood shape you.What have you been made into?”

Will shrugged.“An Omega.”

Hannibal kept his hand on Will’s throat, stroking softly.Possessively.“What else?”

Will looked up, shock colouring his expression.“Didn’t know you Alphas thought there was anything else.”He reached up to brush the man’s stroking fingers away, then allowed him to pull that hand down between them and feel along the pulse in his wrist while continuing to caress his throat.“I’m a good fisherman, when I’m not busy fleeing from oppression.”

Hannibal tilted his head to the side, brow arched.“From all my knowledge, Omegas are hardly oppressed.”

“We.Can’t. _Vote._ ”

He waved a hand with an air of comically exaggerated superiority.“Details, details.”Will’s mouth dropped open.“In Alpha society, only elderly Alphas have a voice.It’s hardly extraordinary for people to be denied their right to speak.”

“We are attacked on the daily.”

“Alphas beat their children until they feel the sensation of dying.Omegas are not the only ones who know pain.”

“I could never stay in one place; I lived every second in total fear!”

“I was abused.”

“And you think I wasn’t?”It was an indignant cry that stopped the response he’d cued up.Hannibal froze where he sat, hand stiffening around his throat.

“Finish your story.”

Hearing that primal growl… Will didn’t dare defy him.He laid down on the bed, his skin prickling as Hannibal’s hand slid from his throat to the curve of his collarbone.“Okay.”Rapid inhale, rapid exhale.His fingers petted Will, calming the panic encroaching.“Okay.I left off at that night, being dressed up and feeling important, right?”

“Yes.”

“After dinner— and dessert, of course— I asked to watch television.Sat down and watched three movies straight, with popcorn.My foster father had a group of… of friends over.”His voice broke on the word _friends_.The Alpha’s hands began making circles of comfort on his clavicle.“Around nine, he looked over at his friends and said they should tuck me into bed.”

Hannibal stilled.

Will forced an exhale and sat up, every memory from that night burning new holes into his brain as he made himself remember.His knees curled into his chest.Hannibal’s arm wrapped around his shoulder, pulling him into the hard embrace of his body.He wondered briefly if the man regretted asking this of him.Then, even though he hated him, he inched closer, allowing his abductor to comfort him.

His didn’t want to accept this kind of comfort, from this kind of person, but in that moment he needed it.

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first foray into the Hannibal fandom, so I apologize if anything's out of place <3
> 
> the title's from a rainbow kitten surprise song~ "cold love." from "recktify" to "counting cards," RKS has a lot of hannibal-esque songs and some freaking brilliant lyrics so most chapter titles are from those as well :D


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